Family Fire Pit

BUILDING THE TABLE

Although I'm sure this is not the first time a double-decker
table has been used in a pit like this it was a bit unique to me
as the pits that I had seen did not have this feature. This is
probably due to the fact that the prior pits that I had seen were
not quite so deap as mine. Being five feet deep would be a lot of
wasted space if a double-decker table was not used.

Prior to my decision to have this table made I had seen a simple
solution of having a few blocks dropped into the pit so that a metal
grate could then be lowered down into the pit and which would then
rest on the blocks. This grate would have the desired meat, (turkeys?)
placed on top of the grate. This is the method that was used when I
had my first turkey cooked in this kind of a pit.

The individual who helped me get the pipe for my pit was using a bit
more sophistocated system as he did have a table that he was using,
although it was a single layer. The meat was placed on the table and a
couple of poles with hooks were used to lower the table into the hot pit.

When I first imagined using a double layer I had invisioned that the first
layer would be lowered down into the pit and then once that was set I would
lower the second or top table into the pit and rest it on top of the first table.
So in the picture you can see that the two-layer table is designed to come apart.
One table sits on top of the other.

However, after experimenting a bit I soon found that it would be a lot easier
to simply hook the bottom table and lift them both together. In this way I could
raise and lower the meat all at the same time.

My welding skills aren't that great so I took my idea to a local welding shop
and explained as best I could what I wanted and what I wanted it for. The original
design that I gave to them was not what I ended up with. I was quite pleased, however,
since I believe what they gave me was a much better design than I had originally
invisioned. The table wasn't exactly cheap to have built, but they did a very nice job.
The welded table was given to me by the shop in an unpainted state so I finished it by
painting the table with some heat resistent paint.